All Language Resources

In-Depth Reviews And Recommendations - Without The BS

GermanPod101 Review – Lifeless Lessons That I Wouldn’t Recommend

by Leave a Comment

Quick Review
Summary: GermanPod101 offers a large number of audio and video lessons for German learners that has been added over many years. There isn’t a clear structure where lessons build upon each other, instead they’re grouped by difficulty level and into pathways. Unfortunately, I came away quite disappointed from my experience trying GermanPod101 and wouldn’t recommend paying for a subscription.

Quality 
Useful information presented in a lifeless manner.
Thoroughness 
Not much material for non-beginners.
Value 
Not worth paying for.
I Like
The lessons contain useful information about the German language.

 The lesson notes have helpful information about the grammar encountered in that lesson.

 The flashcards are nice as they contain audio, pictures, and example sentences.

I Don’t Like
The lessons are among the most boring I’ve ever listened to.

 Video lessons are very short and aren’t anything special.

 The vast majority of the content is only for the absolute beginner and beginner levels.

  Not a structured course or very good as a supplemental resource.

Price: There are many plans available from one month to two years, with prices lowering the longer you subscribe. One month plans cost $8 for Basic, $25 for Premium, and $47 for Premium Plus.

Use the coupon code “ALLLANGUAGERESOURCES” to get 25% off your subscription.

Visit GermanPod101
[Read more…]

The Best Online German Courses – A Detailed Comparison Of 20+ Options

by Leave a Comment

When you begin looking for an online German course, it can quickly become overwhelming. There are so many options, but which ones are worth your time and possibly money?

And while the most important thing is that you commit to studying regularly, choosing the wrong course can lead to unnecessary frustrations and sometimes wasted money.

Don’t worry.

In this article, I’ll walk you through your options. I’ll help you figure out which courses do which things right and where their weaknesses are.

In total, there are over 20 courses included in this list.

Not all of them are good, in fact, there are a few that I think you’d be better off avoiding and many others are just alright. I wanted to be sure to include lots of options, especially ones I dislike, since you may find others enthusiastically recommending them.

I loosely organized this list based on how much I’d recommend each course. My favorite ones are near the top, and my least favorites are towards the end.

Let’s get started with my top recommendation, followed by the best free course.
[Read more…]

Spanish (German, Italian) Uncovered Review – Story Based Learning

by Leave a Comment

Quick Review
Summary: Spanish Uncovered (and the similar German and Italian courses) come from Olly Richards, the creator of the super popular blog I Will Teach You A Language. It’s quite a bit different than most courses as it revolves around a story. It can be a bit more challenging than other courses, as you begin reading somewhat long texts right off the bat. Overall, I found it to be a more fun way to approach language learning that will be great for some but not ideal for others.

Quality 
The instruction is clear but can have too much information crammed into a single lesson.
Thoroughness 
You’ll practice every aspect of the language.
Value 
It has a pretty high price, but if you stick with it, you’ll get good value from it.
I Like
 Centering the lessons around a story makes learning more fun.

Good clear instruction with lots of opportunities to practive what you’ve learned.

Gets students to actively participate and take control of their own learning.

I Don’t Like
Too many unrelated grammar points are included in the grammar lessons.

The review quiz is too short.

 The exercises found in the PDF, while helpful, aren’t terribly exciting.

Price: A one-time purchase costs $297 and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Visit Spanish, German, or Italian Uncovered 

[Read more…]

Grammar Hero Review – I Like It, But A Bit Too Expensive

by Leave a Comment

Quick Review
Summary: Grammar Hero is a product from Olly Richards, the creator of I Will Teach You A Language. It follows the story-based method of teaching languages, but this time with a focus on the most difficult grammar points. You start out by reading a story and the grammar point is underlined, later you learn the rules, then you re-read the story with explanations, and finally you’ll practice using the grammar point to express your thoughts and opinions. It’s a comprehensive method that’s meant to help you internalize the grammar.

Quality 
The stories are unique and interesting, while highlighting the grammar points.
Thoroughness 
Covers the most challenging grammar in each language.
Value 
Fairly expensive and may not be affordable for many learners.
I Like
The stories are different for every language.

Enjoyable to read, clear audio recordings, and more interesting than other ways to study grammar.

 Focuses on only the most challenging grammar points.

I Don’t Like
 It’s pretty expensive.

The final “Activate” section is just a worksheet. It’s useful but hardly exciting.

Languages: Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, and Brazillian Portuguese.

Price: It costs $197 to purchase Grammar Hero in each language. There’s also a 30-day money back guarantee.

Visit Grammar Hero
[Read more…]

Lingoda Review – Positive Experience But Room For Improvement

by Leave a Comment

Quick Review
Summary: Lingoda is an online language learning platform where you can take private or group classes at any time of the day. They offer lessons in Spanish, German, French, and English. There are a large number of lessons available for everyone from absolute beginners to more advanced levels. It’s a good option to get the structure of a course with the guidance of a teacher, at an affordable price.

Quality
Both the platform and the content itself are easy to use and presented well.
Thoroughness
Although there are hundreds of lessons, they could use a bit more variety and you’ll need to study them with a teacher to get much benefit.
Value
It’s an affordable option that gives you access to good teachers and a comprehensive course.
I Like

The flexible hours mean that you can pretty much take a class whenever suits you – whether that’s 3am or 3pm!

Right from the start, the teachers speak almost entirely in the language that you’re learning.

There are hundreds of different classes covering different subjects for all levels.

I Don’t Like

You will sometimes have to wait a while for your chosen class to appear at a time slot that is convenient to you which limits the flexibility.

The quality of your class and how much content you cover relies to a large extent on the other students. This also impacts how much time you actually get to speak.

The lesson materials all look quite similar and there is not much variation between lessons.

Price: There are lots of different plans available. A 7-day trial package that gives you access to 3 group classes costs $23.99. For group classes, there are three plans costing $109, $199, and $259 per month which gives you access to 10, 20, and 30 classes. For private classes, the plans cost $139, $259, and $379 per month which gives you access to 5, 10, and 15 classes respectively.

Visit Lingoda

[Read more…]

Privacy Policy